Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged all to wage a united street movement for BNP.
“Awami League has snatched people’s voting rights, annihilated democracy, destroyed all institutions, economy and electoral system and looted public money. Everything will be ruined if this regime is allowed to govern the country any more,” he said.
Fakhrul, the BNP acting secretary general, continued, “The government has resorted to serious repressive acts to subdue its opponents. They’re moving ahead with a plan to restore one-party Baksal rule. So, this usurper and repressive regime must be overthrown through a strong street movement.”
He was addressing a programme at Altafunnesa playground here arranged by the local district unit of BNP marking the 50th birthday of its senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman. The BNP leader also cut a 50-pound cake as part of the birthday celebrations.
Tarique, living in London for treatment since 2008, was born on November 20, 1965 in Bogra.
On Thursday, BNP and its associate bodies celebrated his birthday with various programmes in a befitting manner.
Fakhrul said the country’s people do not want to see Awami League in power due to their limitless corruption, plundering and repressive acts.
He claimed that they are on a movement with a demand for a fresh election under a non-party administration not to go to power but to save the country and its people.
The BNP leader said Prime Minister’s adviser HT Imam at a recent programme has divulged how Awami League staged a drama in the name of election on January-5 using the Rab, police and their party cadres recruited to the administration.
He alleged that the ruling party student body, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), has unleashed a reign of terror in educational institutions across the country. “Their own people are getting killed in intra-party feuds while universities are being closed indefinitely.”
Fakhrul bemoaned that their leader Tarique Rahman has been living an exiled life for the last eight years due to constant plots against him.
He alleged the 1/11 regime in connivance with Awami League had tried to kill Tarique through torture in custody after arresting him on ‘false’ charges.
Depicting a sorry state of the country due to Awami League’s misrule, Fakhrul said Tarique’s leadership is now essential to free the nation from the grasp of Awami League and save the country from ruination. “Tarique must be brought back home at any cost to lead the nation,” he added.
On September 11, 2008, eight days after his release from jail on bail, Tarique Rahman left for London for treatment relinquishing his party portfolio (senior joint secretary general of BNP), the day her mother, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, was freed from detention during the military-backed caretaker government.
Tarique, arrested on March 7, 2007, was freed from jail on bail on September 3, 2008. However, in December 2009, when he had been abroad for over a year, Tarique was made party’s senior vice-chairman with a clear mandate to lead the BNP in the absence of his mother.